The holiday ball was held on Saturday at the Fountainview Retirement Community in West Palm Beach and sponsored by The Holiday Project, a national non-profit organization that sees to it that those living in retirement and nursing homes don`t feel alone during holidays.

``It`s mainly to make sure that everybody`s loved and acknowledged during the holiday season, because that`s usually when they miss their families most,`` said Susan Shipman, head of the Palm Beach County chapter of The Holiday Project.

This season, the local chapter went caroling, took Christmas joy and celebrated Hanukkah at 13 retirement or nursing centers from Hobe Sound to Boca Raton, reaching nearly 2,000 people.

But Saturday was the big finale with the tunes brought to about 300 people by The Swingers, a 17-piece big band directed by Sam Weiner.

``Everybody was just dying to get over here,`` said Alberta Stephens, 79, who lives at the Palm Garden retirement home.

Earlier, two men and a girl brought Thomas and every resident a tiny Christmas tree. ``They`re wonderful,`` she said.

Locally, about 200 volunteers worked this year for The Holiday Project. The Florida project serves the most people among all the states but California, Shipman said.

``I`m having a ball,`` said volunteer Jeff Strauss, a Santa Claus in shorts who was passing out hugs.

``Oh, look at Santa Claus dancing,`` said Mary Jane Peterson, 63, of the Lakeside Health Center. She was enjoying a plate of chicken wings, grapes and pizza as she listened to The Swingers.

``Our manager said, `Would you like to hear a band tomorrow?` and I said, `I`d love to. You know me and singing,``` Peterson said. ``I`m a singer. I sing at the home. I go up and down the halls singing.``